544 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



ear-coverts and moustachial streak white mixed with black ; 

 cheeks, chin and throat white ; sides of upper-breast dusky-black, 

 down tipped white and buff, remaining under-parts white. 



Juvenile. Male. — (No female examined.) Fore-head cream- 

 buff ; crown olive -brown, many feathers heavily spotted blue- 

 black, and notched at sides light buff ; nape olive-brown, feathers 

 tipped sandy-buff ; mantle, scapulars, back and rump olive -brown, 

 feathers edged sandy-buff and some shaded blackish oh ve -brown 

 subterminally ; throat and breast cream, heavily streaked and 

 with V-shaped marks or central shadings of sepia ; rest of upper- 

 and under-parts as adult winter ; tail and wing as adult but inner- 

 most secondaries and coverts as mantle, median and lesser coverts 

 olive-brown broadly edged sandy-buff. 



First winter. — As adult but distinguished by worn sandy edges 

 to retained olive-brown juvenile wing-coverts (least abraded on 

 innermost median coverts). The juvenile body -feathers (not all 

 scapulars), occasionally central tail-feathers, some innermost 

 secondaries and coverts, some median and apparently some lesser 

 coverts are moulted in late autumn but not rest of wings or tail- 

 feathers. First summer. — Moult as in adult but sometimes tail and 

 some median and lesser coverts appear to be moulted. Coloration 

 as adult and only to be distinguished by retained juvenile wing- 

 coverts as in first winter. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 198-211 mm., tail 74-90, 

 tarsus 56-62, bill from feathers 26-30.5 (12 measured). $ wing 199- 

 212, bill 27-30 (6 measured). Primaries : 1st minute, 3rd longest, 

 2nd equal or 3-6 mm. shorter, 4th 4-9.5 shorter, 5th 9-17.5 

 shorter, 6th 17-27 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 

 5th and 8th primaries. Tail square. Bill straight and slender, 

 slightly convex at tip. Tarsus covered with hexagonal scales imme- 

 diately below joint, rest scutellated anteriorly. Four toes, middle 

 and outer ones webbed almost to first joint and middle and inner 

 very slightly webbed. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet black ; iris brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Distinguished from its near allies 

 by white or light drab marks on inner webs of black inner primaries 

 and from other British waders by drab upper -parts and white 

 secondaries. 



Breeding-habits. — A steppe-haunting species. Nest. — A slight 

 hollow lined with dry grass and sheltered by tuft of heath. Eggs. — 

 4, occasionally 5, not unlike those of Lapwing, ovate or pyriform, 

 freely spotted or blotched with black-brown and shellmarks of 

 ash-colour on stone to warm buff ground. Variety marked with 

 fine spots of ash-brown on greyish or greenish ground. Average 

 of 55 eggs, 46.5X33.8. Max. : 49.3x34.6 and 47.3x35.8. Min. : 

 42.3x33.2 and 46x31.7 mm. Breeding -season. — From mid -May 

 onward. Incubation shared by both sexes. Period 18-21 days 

 after laying of last egg (Menzbier). Single brooded. 



